Bicycle Mechanics - Just help me out for a moment here - forks

Hey all,


before I start working away at this thing, I just wanted to confirm with you guys (and girls?) to see if my logic is OK:

Bike has, at the moment a threaded 1 1/8" fork (and therefore headset and quill). I want to replace the fork with a (1 1/8") threadless. As far as I know


I should be able to swap the forks as far as widths are concerned.
I can leave the cups on the bike, there shouldn't be a problem as long as the threadless headset uses the same size and number of bearings (ball bearings in this case).
There is no way I can keep the quill. I know this is pretty obvious, but I'm so saddened about it, I needed to list it. Saddened, because I'll have to retape the handlebars (must remove tape to remove handlebars from quill.


These are my assumptions, please correct or confirm?

I've never heard of anyone using a threaded headset with a threadless fork, but maybe it will work but I have some doubts. Regardless of that you will need a new lower bearing race pressed onto the fork and a new stem that is compatible with the handlebar you plan to use.

Al

1. Should be no problem.

2. Probably not. Most headsets use proprietary cups and races so it will be plain luck if the new threadless headset's top cap, compression cone and crown race match what you have. Also, most of the better threadless headsets use cartridge bearings so those are very unlikely to work with your current cups.

3. If the quill stem isn't worth keeping and you want to avoid removing bar tape and brake levers, you could cut the stem through the handlebar clamp and remove it in pieces. Almost all threadless stems have removable 2 or 4-bolt faceplates so the pre-wrapped bars can be installed directly.

I've never heard of anyone using a threaded headset with a threadless fork, but maybe it will work but I have some doubts. Regardless of that you will need a new lower bearing race pressed onto the fork and a new stem that is compatible with the handlebar you plan to use.

Al

Threaded headset with threadless fork? I didn't mention that.

Lower race: that goes without saying. Incidently, the race is pressed on the crown already.

Stem: this is what I was griping about, the need to remove the quill to replace it with a stem - because the handlebar I want to use is the same one that's on the bike now and has handlebar tape on it, and the quill does NOT have removable front plate. Unless I am willing to destructively remove the quill, which I am not because it's an otherwise nice quill. But I hate the re-taping work I will have to do.

I have never seen a 1 1/8 threaded fork. This is a new one on me.

2. Probably not. Most headsets use proprietary cups and races so it will be plain luck if the new threadless headset's top cap, compression cone and crown race match what you have. Also, most of the better threadless headsets use cartridge bearings so those are very unlikely to work with your current cups.

Yes I am aware of that, that's why I mentioned same size and number of ball bearings. Anyway, it's probably pointless discussing this point without me trying. I just thought there was a consensus/common wisdom on the subject so I can go ahead without worrying too much.



3. If the quill stem isn't worth keeping and you want to avoid removing bar tape and brake levers, you could cut the stem through the handlebar clamp and remove it in pieces. Almost all threadless stems have removable 2 or 4-bolt faceplates so the pre-wrapped bars can be installed directly.
I addressed this point in my previous post - and I wholeheartedly agree with what you said. Problem is, as I mentioned above, the fact that I'm quite fond of that quill.

I have never seen a 1 1/8 threaded fork. This is a new one on me.

You're not serious.

Are you??? They are about as common as 1" threaded forks.

You're not serious.

Are you??? They are about as common as 1" threaded forks.
They're really not that common but they are around and older MTB's often had 1-1/8" threaded forks. I have a 1993 Trek 7000 MTB that has one.

They're really not that common but they are around and older MTB's often had 1-1/8" threaded forks. I have a 1993 Trek 7000 MTB that has one.

I was mostly amazed at the fact that the poster whom I answered, did never see them, while I had the impression he's been around a lot.



And I still think they're very common, huh....